Destroyers
Destroyers are small, nimble ships capable of maneuvering through the field of battle. They are often employed as scouts, or hit-and-run vessels used for ambushes and surprise attacks. They are characterized by extreme speed and agility, but often lack substantial protection. Real World Information Destroyers were first developed in the 1880's as a counter to torpedo boats. Called torpedo boat destroyers, the name was later shortened to just destroyer. Eventually, destroyers themselves became the primary method of delivering torpedoes against an enemy fleet of battleships. By the time of WWI, the role of destroyers in a fleet was to act as a protective screen against enemy torpedo attacks, as well as to launch torpedo attacks of their own on the enemy fleet. By the time WWII came around, however, the role of the destroyer had expanded into anti-submarine and anti-air warfare as submarines and aircraft took on a prominent role in naval warfare. They were used as escorts during World War I and early World War II as battleship escorts until the dawn of the aircraft carrier. Being smaller and cheaper to produce than cruisers and capital ships, destroyers were the most produced large surface combatant in World War II, and played a crucial role as fleet escorts and submarine hunters. Today's destroyers, however, truly live up to their name. Armed with guided missiles, precision targeting and close combat weapons, they are the most common surface combatants today. In Game Use Destroyers will often be the beginner's first ship. Being lacking in main armament and protection, it can be argued that the Initial battleship is actually a destroyer. Although the small initial ship is almost universally outclassed in navies, the need for a small, versatile escort persists. In game, destroyers are used much like their real world counterparts, and as such perform best in a defensive role, destroyers safeguard larger ships by destroying tiny PT boats, and Subs. they also form a vital part of a fleet's AAA screen. To fulfill this role, in game destroyers are generally larger and better armed than real world ships, often looking more like small light cruisers than destroyers. Be not fooled however, as though larger, in game destroyers are also generally far more agile, and significantly faster than real world examples, with many reaching speeds above fifty knots. In-game destroyers should be armed with weapons near the 15.5 cm range as these provide high rates of fire, light weight, and good super firing performance, though the armor penetration of these weapons is not very good, they make up for it in terms of rate of fire, which is essential for hitting very small targets such as PT boats and the conning towers of submarines. on larger destroyers a small number of lighter guns may be applied to further increase the number of shells in the air. in spite of this firepower, destroyers will lose in gunnery duels with larger ships so it is important to include torpedoes, if they can be financed, oxygen torpedo are excellent, but if pressed underwater tubes are recommended over the standard tubes as they sport superior range even to the largest guns in game. depth charges are also required to ensure destruction of Subs. a small battery of flak or light AAA guns is also recommended. Armor is optional on destroyers, though if armor is chosen it is recommended to use only limited amounts, having the destroyer sit low in the water not only makes it slow and cumbersome, it also can leave the ship more vulnerable to torpedoes fired by subs. Extra armor can also be detrimental to the ship's survivability by robbing it of buoyancy. In multiplayer, destroyers are ambush weapons, and should employ hit and run tactics when dealing with enemy vessels. Small size and agility can be put to use to dodge enemy fire and attack with torpedoes. These traits also allow the destroyer to be a competent sub hunter when armed with ASW weapons like depth charges. Destroyers make good multi role ships, but cannot stand up in a head to head fight against more powerful surface combatants. Replicas of historical Destroyers are some of the more common replicas in game, due to their relatively low cost and complexity. Sub-Types Anti-Aircraft Destroyer (No designation) Anti-aircraft destroyers are destroyers armed with high-angle, AAA-capable main guns. Specially built AA destroyers such as the Japanese Akizuki-class lacked the torpedo armament (Japanese only) of their non-AA cousins, but in return served as excellent fleet escorts due to being able to cover multiple supporting roles (ASW, AA, scouting, transport) Destroyer Escort (DE) Destroyer Escorts (also called frigates or corvettes) are low-cost, mass produced destroyers designed to escort and protect transport convoys. Due to the fact that they were not frontline combatants, destroyer escorts had less powerful (and therefore cheaper) armaments and engines. Their primary role was anti-submarine warfare, which did not require much speed or firepower. As such, they were slower and less capable overall than their Fleet Destroyer brethren. However, they usually had equal or better ASW equipment to combat submarines. Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) Armed with guided missiles, Guided Missile Destroyers are often the heaviest surface combatants in any modern navy that doesn't have a cruiser at its disposal. They escort aircraft carriers, lead frigates, and commence independent operations in enemy waters. They have superseded the roles of fleet destroyers and cruisers into one platform. Destroyer Leader (DL) These are large destroyers. This designation is used by the United States starting from 1951 until 1975. They could lead flotillas of destroyers, which role also could be taken by the Light Cruisers. Stronger close to the Light Cruisers but with weaker armament and weaker armor. Category:Ship Type Category:Game Related